Many video games are run on servers that are remote to the user's PC or console. Each instance of a game may run on a separate server, and a user logs into a “world” or “realm,” with each realm executing on its own separate server. There are also scenarios where a given realm may be run on multiple serves and is load-balanced across the physical machines.
Servers that run a game require administrative maintenance and upkeep by the game's provider, e.g., typically the game developer or game publisher. Over time, the number of participants in a game may decline or a game provider may choose to direct its resources elsewhere. When this happens, oftentimes the game provider will consolidate the equipment—computers, servers, software, networking equipment—that runs the game. When this happens, user accounts on realms that run on that equipment may be moved to a different server, e.g., rather than having three realms with only a few active users each, the game provider may consolidate the three realms into one realm, thereby migrating all of the active users to the remaining realm.